The Garden Of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman

The Garden Of Small Beginnings

by Abbi Waxman

“A quirky, funny, and deeply thoughtful book”* that’s “filled with characters you’ll love and wish you lived next door to in real life”** from the author of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill.
 
Lilian Girvan has been a single mother for three years—ever since her husband died in a car accident. One mental breakdown and some random suicidal thoughts later, she’s just starting to get the hang of this widow thing. She can now get her two girls to school, show up to work, and watch TV like a pro. The only problem is she’s becoming overwhelmed with being underwhelmed.
 
At least her textbook illustrating job has some perks—like actually being called upon to draw whale genitalia. Oh, and there’s that vegetable-gardening class her boss signed her up for. Apparently, being the chosen illustrator for a series of boutique vegetable guides means getting your hands dirty, literally. Wallowing around in compost on a Saturday morning can’t be much worse than wallowing around in pajamas and self-pity.
 
After recruiting her kids and insanely supportive sister to join her, Lilian shows up at the Los Angeles botanical garden feeling out of her element. But what she’ll soon discover—with the help of a patient instructor and a quirky group of gardeners—is that into every life a little sun must shine, whether you want it to or not...

READERS GUIDE INCLUDED

*HelloGiggles
**Bustle

Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on

5 of 5 stars

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Rating: 4.5 Stars

It had been three years since Lily watched her husband die, and though she was better, her grief still cast a shadow over her. As part of a work assignment, Lily had to attend a gardening class, and new life sprouted both in the garden and in Lily.

My love for Waxman's books is unending. She is a solid member of my list of authors, who never fail to bring me joy. I have now read four books by this author, and every one of them was relatable and full of humor, warmth, and heart.

Lilian was a woman, who had to rebuild her life after suffering a mental breakdown in the wake of her husband's death. With support from her sister, she was able to regain some stability, but it was evident, that she never really got past his death. Though the story was filled with tons fun and wit, it was accompanied by some really tender and beautiful moments shared between Lilian and her girls, as well as between Lily and her sister. Waxman had me laughing one minute, and near tears the next, because I could feel Lilian's pain and loss.

Lilian was definitely the star of this book, but Waxman assembled an outstanding supporting cast. Her sister was phenomenal. Rachel was a pillar of support for her sister. Not only did she assume responsibility for her young nieces, when their mother was recovering, but she continued to be there for Lilian, and wasn't afraid to give her a push in the right direction.

There was also Lilian's garden family. What. A. Crew. Each person in this group was so special, and I loved the way they formed such an incredible found-family. I had such an amazing time with them in the garden, and liked seeing their friendship grow outside of the garden. There were some unexpected connections among that group, and it just warmed my heart seeing them mesh, and fill out each other's lives.

And, don't forget the girls. Lilian had one daughter, who remembered bits about her father, and another, who was too young to remember much. Though most of the time, these two were just balls of adorableness, there were these moments, where they reflected on the loss of their father, and cracked me in two. I don't think Lilian fully realized the impact her husband's death had on her daughter's, and the older one, in particular, really opened up the conversation. Some really special moments.

There was a touch of romance in this book, as well. It's a very small part of Lilian's story, but an important part. She was shocked to find herself attracted to someone, who was not her husband, and grappled with many emotions associated with this part of moving forward. I have to say, Waxman crafted a lovely man to be the first to creep his way into Lilian's heart. He was kind, sweet, intelligent, and good with the girls. I absolutely adored Edward, and found myself cheering for these two the whole time.

This book was near perfect for me. By the end, I knew Lilian had made some headway with her grief, but I must admit, I would have liked to have seen a bit further past the ending. Nonetheless, I found this story funny, witty, sometimes wise, and so heartfelt.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 29 May, 2020: Finished reading
  • 29 May, 2020: Reviewed